Day off - Raild

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PoV - Raild

33… 34… 35…

So far I've only done some physical exercises and Daizou hasn't shown me anything about combat, techniques or strategies. He said he would agree to help me with some tips if I did whatever he asked, but he didn't expect it to be that.

- Don't be complaining in your mind and concentrate on your exercise! (Daizou)

- Right!

And besides, he has this perception of anything absurd and abnormal. I can't even have privacy in my thoughts! Does he have any mind-reading skills?

-Before he starts thinking wrong things, I can't read minds, but expressions and yours is like an open book for me! Now focus! (Daizou)

… 48… 49… 50!

- Okay, I did 50 inverted squats using my arms! What do I need to do now?

- Wait a moment! Rest a little. (Daizou)

- No need to worry about me, I can continue with the exercises!

- Resting is part of training, just sit and wait for me to get what I'm looking for. (Daizou)

And he withdrew into the house. So I sat down on the floor for a bit to catch my breath.

I'm glad he accepted my request to train me, when I arrived here last night he was sitting on a rock in the backyard and watching the sky with a sad expression, it looked like a poetic landscape!

Something must have happened to him to have been sad like that and so I was hesitant to ask him, but I got up the courage and asked him to help me in my training, at first I didn't seem to agree, but after I insisted a little else he ended up accepting.

Before asking Daizou, I always trained alone in the forest, defeating monsters and creatures that appeared in front of me, I managed to climb a few more levels than Kaule and Adrick, I also managed to surpass Lahri's level, but it seems that Lyunil is much more the front still and for some reason I can't see his level anymore, is he having a problem with his system again?...

Either way, it still doesn't change the fact that problems are still in a totally intangible dimension for people like me. At that time, during the challenge, when a strange guy invaded the challenge room, even though I noticed it, I couldn't react in time… if Lyunil hadn't helped me then, I wouldn't be breathing right now.

Even though my level and skills have improved, I still haven't been able to act and react properly in situations like that.

- Here, take this! (Daizou)

Daizou came back from where he had gone and threw me an object that I caught in the air. What is it? It appears to be a hollow cylinder with a thin thickness, completely black with a red dot.

- What would that be?

- Your training from now on. This is a Hevhard, it's not an item of this level, but I think it's okay for you to use it. (Daizou)

- Isn't that level? What does it do?

- You can split this "barrel" into several bracelets and place it on body parts according to the training you need.

- Hmm? That doesn't look like it's going to help much.

- Just do as I say and you will understand. (Daizou)

And Daizou told me to split the object in half, and it easily pulled free. Then he told me to open each piece and fasten it to my arms like handcuffs, again, with ease, I did as he said and got two bracelets, one on each arm.

- Stretch out your arms.

- Right. And now?

- Try to stand up. (Daizou)

- What?

And he touched the little red dot and…

/TUM!/

I suddenly fell hard to the ground! Like someone had thrown a huge rock and I had tried to grab it. My arms got too heavy and I couldn't stand up.

- Huh? What happened to all that courage and determination from before? (Daizou)

- Don't make fun of me! What did you do? Why are my arms so heavy?

- Can't you just reason and connect the dots? Hevhard is doing this.

- What?! How is this possible? I managed to hold this thing easily and it wasn't that heavy!

- This item can simulate weight loads. And right now, each bracelet is carrying a charge of approximately 100 kilos.

- 100 kilos on each bracelet?!

- Apparently, you still can't even stand up in this kind of challenge. Now do you understand that you're not ready for tougher challenges yet?

…

- So go up one step at a time...

And he clicked on the dot again, which is now green, and that weight was suddenly gone from my arms and I managed to get up again.

- …and don't be in a hurry!

And he went back to sitting on the rock he was on when he was watching me do the exercises.

So really I still have a very long way to go before I can reach the minimum I need to stand the challenges alongside Lyunil, and an even longer way to reach the top of the Tower…

- From your look, it seems that you understand your situation, right? (Daizou)

- Yes… I could see myself even more now…

Every time I see and realize how weak I still am, it makes me even more frustrated with myself.

In my life this has always happened to me. I was destined to have a life of terrible luck and everything seems to be going against me, even if I haven't done anything. In the beginning I blamed the entire universe for being like this and complained every day about having to live a life full of bad luck. But when I lost everything, my home, my family, my title, my name… when I got as deep as I could go, even though I was only 8 years old, I managed to realize that the real culprit in all of this… is me.

If I had struggled with problems instead of complaining, if I had changed my destiny instead of just waiting for the world to change... if I had been stronger than just complaining... I wouldn't have arrived at that point.

But then a light appeared, a new chance to live. That's when he saved me from that misery and showed me a new way of living, which wasn't the best way nor the right way, but it was the way we managed to live and I could feel alive again. But then again, because of me, being weak, I managed to lose what became the most important thing in my life, and he had to give up his life to save mine.

This idiot Tower unfortunately made me create new hope again, but I'm still just a weak and useless person who is depending on others to stay alive. Only I don't want to, no I won't allow myself to make the same mistake again! And I won't lose anyone else again. And I promised that I would fix all my mistakes, no matter how much it costs me...

- But you do not intend to give up, right? (Daizou)

- ...Certainly not!

I clenched my fist tightly and regained my focus, Daizou smiled as if he was waiting for that answer.

- It's a good answer! (Daizou)

- So show me what I need to do to overcome this challenge, please!

- Yes, yes, but as I said, don't be in a hurry! (Daizou)

- But master Daizou, I need to get stronger as soon as possible, just like you! What if what happened during the challenge happens again? I can't just run away or depend on others to survive!

-Hmmm, I see… I heard that you guys met with Keinf, who invaded the challenge and attacked his group…

- Do you know him?

- Unfortunately yes, a while ago he was also after me… (Daizou)

Was he also after Daizou? Why did he… wait… Lyunil said he was interested in the sword… and when we first met Daizou, Lyunil also said that Daizou had a weapon from the same collection as his…

- ...then he came after the bandaged weapon...

- Hmm? How do you know this? (Daizou)

Damn, I was thinking out too loud!

- Uh?... How do I know? What do I know?

- Your attempt to pretend you don't know anything is worse than your combat skills.

That hurt!

- Already understood! I didn't have to talk like that! Lyunil told us that he thought his bandaged weapon was one of the weapons in his sword weapons collection: "Twelve Months of Annualis." So you mean this is true?

- …So he realized that? I greatly underestimated it... Yes it's true, it's one of the twelve weapons. And Keinf also came after the gun, but it didn't last long and the system started chasing him and I managed to escape a bad ending. But he warned me that when the time was right he would return to retrieve the weapon.

- What does he intend to do with these weapons?

- I don't know, but I can give you the following advice about the question you asked me: if you end up meeting him again, running away is not an option… it's your only way to stay alive.

- WHAT?! Why are you saying this? I'm sure you could finish him off! It's just me getting strong like you...

- I just got lucky at that time and at that time I wasn't fully aware of who he is, but when he appears again I won't hesitate to give him what he wants. Not even having twenty of me against him would be enough to make even a scratch on him...

It can't be true… wouldn't even Daizou be able to fight that guy?

- Keinf is known as the cosmic guardian, as I heard that he transcended the power of any inferior creature with the help of superior beings and assumed this guardian position by desire of those same beings, that's why he fears only those who command the Tower. But I don't understand why he acts that way or his real purpose, what I do know is that I'd rather give this heavenly treasure to him than lose my life in vain, and I advise you to think the same way.

You mean he has a relationship with the Titans?! This story is getting more and more complicated, I can't imagine the relationship between the guns, the Titans and this guy, according to the facts that are happening.

However, it is still certain that the future that awaits us is full of even greater difficulties than those we are going through now and that we are yet to encounter that face again. What is uncertain now is what we should do when that time comes...